Tom Brady is mentoring a little-known Buccaneers rookie

Tom Brady enjoys taking on a coaching role with young players during training camp. This year, he’s fixated on a little-known rookie wide receiver.

According to Peter King of Football Morning in America, Brady has taken to mentoring Jaelon Darden, a little-known fourth-round pick out of North Texas. Brady likes to focus on wide receivers lower on the depth chart so he has extra options in big games when opponents are likely to try to take away key options, in this case Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Darden explained that Brady has been tutoring him in route running and positioning, with the quarterback catching Darden off-guard by revealing that he’d watched the wide receiver’s film before their first meeting.

“The first time I met him after the draft, I was star-struck,” Darden said. “He said, ‘Hey Jaelon. Happy to have you on the team. I studied your film.’ What an honor. Then he took time to teach me how to win against coverages. Like, ‘When the corner plays you here, I’m gonna have the ball at this exact spot.’ Every day, I put my hard hat on and work and learn.”

Darden is listed at 5-8 but is known for his blazing speed, having run a 4.46 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. It’s easy to see how Brady could use someone such as that as a weapon despite being undersized.

Brady is known for taking a serious interest in rookies, even ones at his own position. Darden could be a big beneficiary of that this year and beyond.